Southern California -- this just in

Water main upgrade will close Coldwater Canyon later this month

March 1, 2013 | 4:42
pm

Starting March 23, upgrades to a Los Angeles water main will require the closure of Coldwater Canyon Avenue from Ventura Boulevard to Mulholland Drive during peak commute times, work that will last for about a month, city officials said Friday.

About 1,400 cars per hour use Coldwater Canyon during peak times as a corridor to and from the San Fernando Valley. Officials wanted to get the word out early about the impending closure so that commuters can find alternative routes, said Jeremy Oberstein, spokesman for City Councilman Paul Krekorian.

Detours include either Laurel Canyon or Beverly Glen boulevards. All other major thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley will remain open during construction, Oberstein said. Coldwater Canyon will be shut down from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

During overnight hours and on Sunday one lane in each direction will be open. Details of the closure will be discussed at a news conference set for 8:45 a.m. Monday on the southeast corner of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Mulholland Drive.

Department of Water and Power workers are replacing a 99-year-old water line that will require digging up the road with heavy equipment, Oberstein said. It's part of the city's continuing effort to upgrade aging infrastructure and avoid water main ruptures that have caused millions of dollars of damage in some parts of the city, he said.

Krekorian's office and other city officials have been working with businessnes, schools and churches for months to update them on the project and closures. Residents are being notified by the DWP, he said.